Seanad Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 18 Feb 2014

Business of Seanad

An Cathaoirleach

I welcome a former Minister of State to the Visitors Gallery, Mr. Austin Currie.

I have also received notice from Senator Lorraine Higgins of the following matter:

The need for the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht to review the restrictions imposed by the EU habitats directive on the carrying out of essential works on the Shannon, Dunkellen and Clune rivers and other rivers in the south Galway area to reduce the impact of flooding on property owners and farmers.

I have also received notice from Senator Deirdre Clune of the following matter:

The need for the Minister for Justice and Equality to outline the steps he is taking to ensure the personal data of individuals are protected following the recent revelations that personal data from leaky smartphone applications could be gathered by surveillance operations.

I have also received notice from Senator Fidelma Healy Eames of the following matter:

The need for the Minister for Finance to ensure Irish home owners are given first refusal and a window of time to buy back their mortgages from banks selling their loan books and, failing this, to ensure any foreign purchaser of Irish mortgages conforms to the Central Bank's code of conduct on mortgages.

I regard the matters raised by the Senators as suitable for discussion on the Adjournment. I have selected the matters raised by Deirdre Clune, Lorraine Higgins, Marie Moloney and Jillian van Turnhout and they will be taken at the conclusion of business. Senators Colm Burke, Catherine Noone and Fidelma Healy Eames may give notice on another day of the matters they wish to raise.

I have received notice from Senator Colm Burke that, on the motion for the Adjournment of the House today, he proposes to raise the following matter:

The need for the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs to clarify the position on Irish people adopting children from India, in particular when the Department is likely to approve and give recognition to an agency in Ireland to deal with these applications.

I have also received notice from Senator Catherine Noone of the following matter:

To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if, given its importance to the retail and social revitalisation of County Laois, his Department plans to assist in the development of Rathdowney shopping centre and sites like it around the country with a rates discount.

I have also received notice from Senator Marie Moloney of the following matter:

The need for the Minister for Social Protection to examine the possibility of having home-maker's credits awarded to women who gave up work prior to 1994 to rear their children.

I have also received notice from Senator Jillian van Turnhout of the following matter:

The need for the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government to outline the total funding allocated to the scheme to support national organisations in 2013 in the light of the recently announced 12% cut in funding for the first half of 2014 and the new scheme to come into effect in July 2014; the total funding for the scheme in 2014 and the justification for the disproportionate cut.